Paint roller cleaning apparatus



March 19, 1968 G. DALTON 3,373,456,

PAINT ROLLER CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 21, 1965 INVENTOR. GERALD DALTON BY MALINCKRODT AND MALINCKRODT ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,373,456 PAINT ROLLER CLEANING APPARATUS Gerald Dalton, Kaysville, Utah, assignor of fifty percent to Robert F. Wilson, Bountiful, Utah Filed Oct. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 509,093 7 Claims. (Cl. 151) This invention relates to devices used to clean paint from paint rollers.

Because they are easily used by even unskilled persons, and because they are generally faster to use than paint brushes, paint rollers have become increasingly popular for use on many paint jobs. However, the rollers and the pans used with them are messy and time consuming to clean and there is frequently a great deal of waste involved. Not only is the paint retained by the roller and on the pan frequently wasted, but large quantities of turpentine or other paint solvents are used in cleaning the roller and pan. Alternatively, many people simply throw the roller away after use rather than expending the necessary time and effort required to clean it.

In an attempt to reduce the work and mess involved and the wasted paint, etc. there have been a number of devices developed in the past that can be used to scrape paint from a roller. U.S. Patent No. 2,825,916, issued Mar. 11, 1958 to A. J. Basala, Jr., and U.S. Patent No. 2,961,683, issued Nov. 29, 1960, to F. J. Meyer, for example, show such scrapers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for cleaning paint rollers that is very inexpensive to construct, that will securely position the paint roller above an open paint can and that can readily apply any desired squeezing pressure to a roller as paint is scraped therefrom into the bucket.

Principal features of the invention include a roller holder that is adapted to be snapped onto the rim of an opened paint can to securely hold a paint roller in an upright position above the open can and a one-piece scraper having two handles, each including a scraper surface, with a hinge means interconnecting the handles.

There is shown in the accompanying drawing a specific embodiment of the invention representing what is presently regarded as the best mode of carrying out the generic concepts in actual practice. From the detailed description of this presently preferred form of the invention, other more specific objects and features will become apparent.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus positioned for use on a paint can;

FIG. 2, a top plan view of the roller holder;

FIG. 3, a longitudinal vertical section, taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4, a vertical section taken on the line 4 4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5, a top plan view of the scraper.

Refering now to the drawing:

In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the paint roller cleaning apparatus includes a paint roller holder that is adapted to fit over the opening of a paint can, shown fragmentarily at 11, and a scraper shown generally at 12.

Holder 10 is preferably made of a stiff plastic material that has some degree of flexibility. A flange 13 is provided at each end of an elongate body 14 to facilitate placement of the holder on a paint can and removal therefrom. The flanges each extend outwardly from the lower end of a depending leg 15 that has its other end connected to the elongate body 14, and a shoulder 16 is provided on the inner face of each leg. When the holder is placed diametrically across the open top of a paint can and is pressed down, the legs yield slightly to allow the shoulder 16 to slide over the bead formed around the outer rim of the cam and then, because of the natural resiliency of the material from which the holder is made, the legs snap the shoulders against the wall of the can to firmly secure the holder thereon.

A narrow slot 17 is provided in the elongate body 14 and rib members 18 extend downwardly from the sides of body 16 and from the edge of slot 17. The rib members are interconnected by webs 19 and the ribs and webs serve as stitfeners to limit deformation of the body.

In use, the holder is positioned diametrically across the open end of a paint can in the manner previously described and a paint roller 20, which is to be cleaned, is positioned thereabove. This is accomplished by inserting the metal rod portion 21 of the handle supporting the roller into the elongate slot 17, with the roller then standing on end and extending normal to the holder. The material surrounding the slot deforms sufiiciently to allow the metal rod to be pressed therein, but grips it tight enough to prevent its being accidentally dislodged. As thus positioned, the roller is ready to be cleaned, and the user has both hands free to use with scraper 12.

Scraper 12 is used to strip paint from the roller. The scraper includes a pair of handles 22 and 23, each of which is bifurcated to have legs 24 and 25, with a hinge connection 26 interconnecting the legs 24 and a similar hinge connection 27 interconecting the legs 25 of the two handles. The edge 28 between the legs 24 and 25 of each handle is preferably rounded so as not to damage the material of the roller and is curved so that the legs and the connecting hinge define a smooth opening 29 large enough to surround all standard size paint rollers now commercially available.

After the paint roller has been positioned above the paint can handles 22 and 23 are grasped and the scraper is extended into its flat position. The scraper is positioned to have its curved edge surounding the roller and the handles are then pivoted upwardly toward each other to squeeze the edges 28 tightly against the roller. The amount of pressure applied can be easily controlled by the user. The scraper is then forced down the length of the roller to strip paint therefrom. The paint pushed ahead of the scraper cascades down, over the holder 10 and into the paint can. The scraper handles are pivoted away from the roller, and the scraper is raised and rotated slightly before the stripping operation is repeated. This operation is repated as many times as necessary to thoroughly clean the roller. It is a simple matter to clean the pan used with the roller, merely by rolling the roller therein to act as a sponge and soak up the paint and then to again clean the roller in the manner previously described.

Holder 10 is removed from the can by simply grasping and lifting up on one of the flanges 13 to lift its associated shoulder 16 over the head of the can.

The scraper, including the hinge connections are preferably made of plastic, with the handles being made of a stiff plastic and the hinges of a durable but very pliable plastic.

For convenience in storing, holes 30 are provided through the flanges 13 and holes 31 are provided through handles 22 and 23. The holes allow the holder and scraper to be hung on books provided for the purpose.

Whereas there is here illustrated and specifically described a certain preferred construction of apparatus which is presently regarded as the best mode of carrying out the invention, it should be understood that various changes can be made and other constructions adopted without departing from the inventive subject matter particularly pointed out and claimed herebelow.

I claim:

1. Paint roller cleaning apparatus comprising a holder including means for holding a paint roller handle such that a paint roller carried thereby is positioned to have its axis upright above the open top of a paint can; and

a scraper comprising a pair of handles having an enlarged opening formed therebtween and hinge means interconnecting the handles, the opening being sufficiently large that the edges of the handles and the hinges surrounding the opening are spaced from the paint roller positioned for cleaning by the holder when the handles are in substantially the same plane and so that as the handles are pivoted toward each other the roller is squeezed between the edges surrounding the opening, whereby movement of the scraper along the length of the roller will strip paint therefrom.

2. Paint roller cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holder comprises an elongate body member adapted to extend diametrically across an open end of a paint can;

a depending leg at each end of the body member;

a shoulder on the inside of each leg, adapted to cooperate with a bead around the top of the paint can to maintain the holder in position thereon; and

a flange extending outwardly from each leg.

3. Paint roller cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the holder is made of resilient plastic.

4. Paint roller cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the means for holding a paint roller handle comprises a slot in the elongate body member, said slot being narrower than the metal rod portion of a paint roller handle, whereby the elongate body member is deformed by insertion of the rod portion into said slot.

5. Paint roller cleaning apparatus according to claim 4, further including reinforcement means formed integral with the elongate body member to limit deformation thereof.

6. Paint roller cleaning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the scraper is made of resilient plastic.

7. Paint roller cleaning apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the edges of the handles surrounding the opening are rolled to prevent damage to the roller.

No references cited.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

L. G. MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. PAINT ROLLER CLEANING APPARATUS COMPRISING A HOLDER INCLUDING MEANS FOR HOLDING A PAINT ROLLER HANDLE SUCH THAT A PAINT ROLLER CARRIED THEREBY IS POSITIONED TO HAVE ITS AXIS UPRIGHT ABOVE THE OPEN TOP OF A PAINT CAN; AND A SCRAPER COMPRISING PAIR OF HANDLES HAVING AN ENLARGED OPENING FORMED THEREBETWEEN AND HINGE MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE HANDLES, THE OPENING BEING SUFFICIENTLY LARGE THAT THE EDGES OF THE HANDLES AND THE HINGES SURROUNDING THE OPENING ARE SPACED FROM THE PAINT ROLLER POSITIONED FOR CLEANING BY THE HOLDER WHEN THE HANDLES ARE IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PLANE AND SO THAT AS THE HANDLES ARE PIVOTED TOWARD EACH OTHER THE ROLLER IS SQUEEZED BETWEEN THE EDGES SURROUNDING THE OPENING, WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF THE SCRAPER ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE ROLLER WILL STRIP PAINT THEREFROM. 